Cádiz Blue

This documentary film is about a musician who spent 13 years of life as a maritime pianist and decided to settle down in Cádiz, Spain, one of the oldest and historical cities in Europe. Michael Grossman is a Blues Jazz musician that continues to share his passion with his audiences. This documentary illustrates his life in this small Spanish city. Why did he stop traveling? What does music mean in his life? How does he continue to play on the mainland?
The film contains six parts: Waking up, walking melody show, solo concert in the tum of the beach, visiting a friend’s home for a jam session, group rehearsal, and group concert in a bar. The film is 47’40’’ in length with mono dialogue.

  • Hongshuo Cai ( Juan cai)
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    47 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 10, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    China
  • Country of Filming:
    Spain
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Hongshuo Cai ( Juan cai)

1979 Born in Hunan China
1999-2003 China Academy of Fine Arts
2013-2014 University of the Arts London

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Director Statement

Michael Grossman is a jazz musician and a friend of mine who lives in Cádiz. When I first saw his body, I was very impressed. I have been to his studio many times during the pandemic. His life is quite interesting and mysterious. He is from the USA but when he was 36 years old, he decided to move to Spain and has continued to live there for 30 years. I wondered what life is like for an immigrant and how about his music and what is his pursuit of spirit as an artist. I have been thinking about how his imperfect body works well with his jazz music. I think his body and His music is powerful and continues to touch people. His jazz music accompanies him all the time. Furthermore, I wanted to present Cádiz city.. It has an endless blue sky,which is part of the character of the city. The film uses poetic monologue and music composition to present a vignette of his life in Cádiz combining behind-the-scenes footage and creative perspectives.